No juvenile or inexperienced purchaser should be too eager and hasty in his pursuits, or too easilyfascinatedwith a seeming object ofGENERAL ATTRACTION. It is exceedingly easy to purchase "inhaste, and repent atleisure:" none should be instantly allured by sudden show, and short inspection; too much trial cannot be obtained, nor too much patience persevered in during the examination. The sportsman of prudence, and personal experience, never evenspeaksupon theprice, without previouslyRIDINGthe subject in question; this he does in a remote and quiet situation, then in a busy one. In the former, mount, dismount, and mount again; survey and critically examine him in a state of nature, when calm, and at a distance from those he knows to be hispersecutorsas wellinasoutof the stable: it is for want of these precautions, that there are so many dupes to artifice, who purchase the dullest jades, without adverting for a moment to the furious effect ofWHIP,SPUR, andginger; the dealer's best friends.
As it is by no means a proof of judgment to purchasehastily, so, having once purchased, it should be an invariable maxim never to part too rashly. Innumerable are the instances where horses have been disposed of in the moments of caprice, and precipitately sold forfifteen,twenty, orthirtypounds, that have afterwards produced an hundred or an hundred and fifty guineas. When a horse ofpromising appearance, and pleasing action, is rode upon trial, great allowance should be made for the state of his mouth: he may not only have been accustomed to a differentbitorBRIDLE, but may probably have been some time ridden by apreviousOWNERof very differenttemperanddisposition. One man rides with atight, another with aslackrein: one is a petulant, refractory, impatient rider, who not unfrequently makes his horse so by hisownindiscretion; when, on the contrary, a mild, serene, and philosophic rider (who ruminates upon the imperfections of the animal he bestrides, as well as his own) often enjoys the inexpressible satisfaction of making a convert to his own good usage and sensibility; constituting, by such patient perseverance, that very horse a desirable object of acquisition, even to those who had, upon too slight a foundation, or too short a trial, discarded him as unworthy any service at all.
Experience affords ample demonstration, that thetempersofHORSESare as much diversified as the tempers of those whoRIDEorDRIVEthem; and it will not be inapplicable for theyoungto betold, or theOLDtorecollect, that a great number of horses are maderestiveandviciousby ill usage, and then unmercifullywhipped,spurred, andbeatenfor being so; in corroboration of which fact, there are numbers constantly disposed of "to the best bidder," as invincibly restive, at thehammerof aREPOSITORY, that would in a few weeks, by gentle and humane treatment, have been reformed to the best tempers, and most pliable dispositions. Those who have been most attentively accurate in observation and experience, well know, that personal severity to horses forrestivenessorstarting, very frequently makes themworse, but is seldom found to make thembetter: it is, therefore, certainly more rational, more humane, and evidently more gratifying, to effect subservience by tenderness and manly perseverance (divested of pusillanimity and fear) than by means of unnatural severity, often tending to render "the remedy worse than the disease."
Horses, when at liberty, and in a state of freedom, although they are exposed to the different degrees ofheatandcold, (encountering the utmostseverityof theELEMENTSin opposite seasons,) are well known to be in more constant health, and less subject to morbidity, than when destined to the scanty confines of aSTABLE, and brought intoUSE; the causes of which are too numerous, and too extensive, to come within the limits of a work of this kind. It is, however, to be presumed, very many of theSEVERE,DANGEROUS, and, finally,destructivedisorders to which they are so constantly subject, and so perpetually liable, are produced much more by a want of care and attention in those whoOWNorsuperintendthem, than to any pre-disposing tendencyin the animal to disease. In farther elucidation of which, see "Groom."
The disorders to which horses are perpetually incident, may be reduced to a few distinct heads, as the acute, chronic, dangerous, infectious, and accidental; the major part of those partaking of a joint description, and technical complication. For instance, staggers, flatulent or inflammatory cholic, fevers, pleurisy, inflammation of the lungs, and strangury, may be ranked amongst the acute and dangerous.GlandersandFARCYare admitted to beinfectious, and in advanced stages,incurable. TheGREASE,SURFEIT,MANGE,ASTHMA, &c. may be termedchronic. Accidents and incidents include colds, coughs, swelled legs, cracked heels, wind-galls, strains, warbles, sitfasts, and a long train of trifles, by far the greater part of which originate in carelessness, inhumanity, and indiscretion. A description of all will be found under their distinct heads; and the means of alleviation and cure must be derived from the most popular practitioners, or the works of those who have written professedly upon the subject ofVeterinary MedicineandDisease.
Horseshaving for so many centuries continued to increase the ease, comfort, pleasure, and happiness, of all descriptions of people, they have at length, by the fertile invention of national financiers,been found equally capable of becoming materially instrumental to the support of Government, in a degree beyond what the utmost effusions of fancy could have formed, as will be seen by the very judicious scale of gradational taxation, accurately copied and annexed. And as there was no other distinct head, where theDUTIESuponCARRIAGEScould with propriety be introduced, they are here included also, as no inapplicable addition to requisite information, in which so many are individually concerned.
HORSE-DEALERS—are persons who derive their subsistence, and obtain a livelihood, by buying and selling of horses only; and these were become so numerous in both town and country, that, either to restrain the number, or to render the occupation proportionally serviceable to the exigencies of the State, the following duties have been imposed. Every Person exercising the trade or business of aHORSE-DEALER, must payANNUALLY, if within London, Westminster, the Parishes of St. Mary-le-Bone, and St. Pancras, in Middlesex,the weekly Bills of Mortality, or the Borough of Southwark, 10l.In any other Part of Great Britain, 5l.
—are persons who derive their subsistence, and obtain a livelihood, by buying and selling of horses only; and these were become so numerous in both town and country, that, either to restrain the number, or to render the occupation proportionally serviceable to the exigencies of the State, the following duties have been imposed. Every Person exercising the trade or business of aHORSE-DEALER, must payANNUALLY, if within London, Westminster, the Parishes of St. Mary-le-Bone, and St. Pancras, in Middlesex,the weekly Bills of Mortality, or the Borough of Southwark, 10l.In any other Part of Great Britain, 5l.
Horse dealersshall cause the words "Licenced to deal in Horses," to be painted or written in large and legible Characters, either on a Sign hung out, or on some visible Place in the Front of their House, Gateway, or Stables; and if he shall sell any Horse without fixing such Token, he shall forfeit 10l.to be recovered by Action; Half to the King, and Half to the Informer. 36th George Third, c. xvii.
HORSEMANSHIP—is the act of riding with ease, grace, and fortitude. It may be taken in two points of view; as those who, self-taught, become proficients equally with those who derive instruction from theSCHOOLS, of which there are many of established celebrity. Doubts, however, have arisen, and opposite opinions have been supported, whether the sportsman who has acquired the art from nature, habit, and practice, is not, in general, a more easy, graceful, expert, and courageous horseman, than the major part of those who have been in thetrammels(and riding the great horse) of the most able and eminent professors. As there are but few of these schools, except in the metropolis, and excellent horsemen to be seen in every part of the kingdom, that circumstancealone seems to justify the presumption, that there is much more ofNATUREthan ofartin the acquisition. However unnecessary the instructions of aRIDING MASTERmay be in forming the qualifications and graces of aFOXHUNTER, they become indispensibly requisite to the completion of aMILITARY EDUCATION, in which personal dignity, and adequate authority, must be properly and systematically maintained.
—is the act of riding with ease, grace, and fortitude. It may be taken in two points of view; as those who, self-taught, become proficients equally with those who derive instruction from theSCHOOLS, of which there are many of established celebrity. Doubts, however, have arisen, and opposite opinions have been supported, whether the sportsman who has acquired the art from nature, habit, and practice, is not, in general, a more easy, graceful, expert, and courageous horseman, than the major part of those who have been in thetrammels(and riding the great horse) of the most able and eminent professors. As there are but few of these schools, except in the metropolis, and excellent horsemen to be seen in every part of the kingdom, that circumstancealone seems to justify the presumption, that there is much more ofNATUREthan ofartin the acquisition. However unnecessary the instructions of aRIDING MASTERmay be in forming the qualifications and graces of aFOXHUNTER, they become indispensibly requisite to the completion of aMILITARY EDUCATION, in which personal dignity, and adequate authority, must be properly and systematically maintained.
Previous to every other consideration in the art of horsemanship, it is necessary to be well acquainted with every minute circumstance, and regular routine, of stable discipline; to know the name and use of every utensil; to comprehend the application of every distinct part of the apparatus with which a horse is caparisoned, and to understand perfectly the property of each kind of bridle, and the effect they are individually calculated to produce. These are conjunctively of such material import to safety, and such palpable proofs of judicious arrangement and solid judgment, that they may, in the aggregate, be considered the very foundation upon which the reputation of aHORSEMANis to be formed. Preparatory to mounting, particularly for a journey, or the chase, the experiencedSPORTSMAN, feeling for the frailties and inadvertencies of human nature, never trusts too much to the hands and eyes ofothers, when not deprived of the use of hisOWN; but prudently condescends toexamine, by the glance of an eye, how far the horse, and appendages, are adequate to the purpose in which he is then going to engage.
This being done, he comes gently up to his horse, opposite the shoulder, on thenear(that is the left) side: when facing the wither, he takes the reins of the bridle with a tuft of the mane firmly in his left hand, and of about the same length they are held in when mounted. The horse standing still, (which he should always be accustomed to do when mounting,) and notbefore, the right-hand is employed in supporting the stirrup on that side, for the reception of the left foot; when which is safely inserted, the right-hand is removed from the stirrup to the hinder part of the saddle, where it forms a support or lever to assist in raising the right leg from the ground, and to pass it gradually and steadily over the body of the horse, where it falls readily into contact with the stirrup on that side. When first the reins are taken in hand, due observance should be made of the medium they are to be held in; that is, nottightenough to make the horse uneasy, and to run back, orslackenough to afford him an opportunity toset offbefore his rider is firmlySEATED.
When mounted, the body should be easily and pliably erect, inclining rather backwards than forwards; the weight entirely resting upon the posteriors,proportionally relieved by the continuation of the thighs, and an equal moderate pressure of both the legs upon the sides of the horse. To preserve which position free from constraint and stiffness, the properlengthof theSTIRRUPSis a matter most material to be attended to; for unless they are inlengthadapted to thestatureof theRIDER, it will be impracticable for him to keep a firm and graceful seat, particularly withviolent,vicious, orrestivehorses, upon many emergencies. The general error, particularly with inexperienced horsemen, who have never been accustomed to ride in the early part of life, is having their stirrups ridiculouslyshort, by which they injudiciously conceive they insure their own personal safety; though the opposite is the fact, and with a spirited horse they are always in greater danger; for the knees being lifted above the skirt of the saddle, the thighs are rendered useless, the legs are deprived of their necessary assistance, the rider is left without a seat or fulcrum to sustain his position, androckingfirst on one side, thenswingingon the other, he is left entirely at the mercy of his horse. That this may be the better reconciled to every comprehension, the stirrups, for ease and safety, should be exactly in this state; that the rider sitting upon his horse (either still or in action) should be able to disengage his foot from the stirrup at a single motion, and by keeping his foot in a direct horizontal position, would have the command and power of recoveringor catching the stirrup almost instantaneously, with the slightest effort for that purpose.
These remarks, properly attended to, the body will be found easy, firm, and commanding; divested of all thoserockings,jerkings, andtwistings, sometimes over the horse'shead, at others over histail, displaying theFEATSof aninvoluntaryattitudinarian, seldom seen but inHyde Park, or theenvironsof theMetropolis. The left-hand is termed thebridle-hand, and the left elbow must come nearly into gentle contact with the body, which it has always for its support in any suddenjump,start, orstumble, of the horse; in want of which regular bearing (if required) the hand could not be always equally steady, and would of course frequently, but unintentionally, prove a check to the horse. It is impossible to lay down fixed and invariable rules for the precise distance of the left-hand from the breast, or its heighth from the saddle; horses differ so much in theirMOUTHS, that the bridle-hand must be usedhigherorlower, and the reinslongerorshorterin proportion. The right-hand (termed, in racing, the whip-hand) should be held in a kind of corresponding uniformity with the left, acting also occasionally in the use of the reins, and the management of the mouth; and this is the more necessary, as every completeHORSEMAN, or perfectSPORTSMAN, can manage thereins (of even arun-awayhorse) as well withonehand as theother.
The hand should always be firm, but delicately pliable, feelingly alive to every motion of the mouth; for, bygivingand taking properly, the horse has better opportunity to display his spirit, and demonstrate the pleasure he receives, in being encouraged to champ upon the bit. As the necessary qualifications which constitute the excellence of horsemanship can never be derived fromtheory, and are only to be acquired byPRACTICE, it becomes concisely applicable to make such remarks, and inculcate such general instructions, as may be usefully retained in the memory of those, who, not feeling themselves too confident in their own ability, are content to avail themselves of information resulting from an experience of which they are not yet in possession. After all the trouble and expence of breaking horses, by the best and most expert professors in that way, yet there are numbers possess, by nature, and retain by habit and temper, faults and vices, not only unpleasant and inconvenient, but even unsafe and dangerous, to those who ride them. An impetuous, ill-tempered rider, who is always expecting his horse to do more than nature ever intended, will soon make the animal as petulant and refractory as himself: few passionate riders becomegoodandhumanehorsemen; great patience, serenity, and some philosophy,is required to meet the variegated and unexpected vicissitudes unavoidably to be encountered in the field, as well as upon the road.
A hot, high-spirited horse, and a fiery, petulant rider, constitute a paradoxical, heterogeneous connection; for as they support a perpetual war between them, and neither feels disposed to submit, so they continue to irritate and render each other worse than they were before. A horse, from natural sagacity, soon discovers the mildness and placidity of his rider, proportioning his own obedience and docility accordingly; of which greater proof need not be adduced, than his absolutely following the master or servant from whom he receives good usage, as well as his being left at different doors totallyunconfined, in the midst of populous streets, and thronged with carriages, from whence he will not attempt to stir, till removed by the voice or hand to which he belongs. Horsemen of tenderness and reflection are ever attentive to the animal who contributes so much to their own health, happiness, or emolument; and omit no one opportunity, that presents itself, of promoting their ease and comfort in return. If the horse, from natural shyness and timidity, or probably from ill usage in the possession of a former master, is alarmed at the sight or motion ofstickorwhip, a rider of this description quiets his fears, by letting it gradually decline behind hisown thigh near the flank of the horse: thefool, or themadman, brandishes it before his eyes, in confirmation of his own ignorance or insanity.
Horseswho are addicted tostarting, do it from fear, and not from opposition; the recollection of which should instantly excite a consideration of pity and tenderness in the rider; but it is much to be regretted, so great is the depravity of the human mind, that nine times out of ten, this very fear (the palpable effect of constitutional timidity) is productive of the mostsevereandunmeritedpunishment. It is no uncommon thing to see a much greater brute than the animal he bestrides, most unmercifullybeating,whipping, andspurring, a poor creature, for possessing a sensation in common with ourselves. If every one of the human species were to be beat, bruised, and crippled, for being justly alarmed at the appearance of danger, or the sight of unnatural and unexpected objects of surprize, our hospitals could never prove sufficiently capacious to receivehalfthe patients that would be daily presented for admission. If caution, and the apprehension of danger, is thus instinctively interwoven with the very frame ofMAN, is it not natural that theHORSE(who has likewise the power of seeing, hearing, and feeling) may be equally alarmed at, and afraid of, impending destruction? Will any, but the most incredulousSTOIC, presume to argue, or to doubt, that thehorse has not the same susceptibility of pain, and the same dread of dissolution, as ourselves? Has he not the same degree of precaution and circumspection in avoiding calamity when it depends upon himself? Has he not the same fear of being crushed to atoms by the weight of any superior power suspended above himself? Has he not the same fear of being drowned? Is he not equally alarmed if even gently led to the brink of an awful precipice, and does he not instantly retreat with horror? Is he not terrified, even to a deprivation of motion, at the sight of fire? Why then can it create surprize, that he should be afraid of, and alarmed at, a high-loaded broad-wheel waggon upon a narrow road, whose ponderous summit seems to threaten his probable and speedy annihilation?
If then it is thus clearly demonstrated, and must be candidly admitted, that the true cause of a horse'sSTARTINGisfear, what magical effect isviolenceon the part of the rider to produce? Nothing can more forcibly evince thepassion,folly,ignorance, andinhumanity, of the lower classes, than the prevalence of this practice. That horses may be made to pass objects of dislike and dread by such means is not to be disputed; it is only presumed that lenity, patience, and mild persuasion, are the most preferable, and by far the most gentleman-like of the two. It is the business of the rider to conquer, and become master of hishorse; but violent passion, and coercive measures, need not be resorted to, till the more lenient attempts have failed. Notwithstanding the idea here inculcated, of notviolentlyandsuddenlypressing a horse up to a carriage, waggon, or any other object at which he has started, it is necessary he should be made to know hemust pass it, which he may be made to do by a modulated tone of the voice, a moderate and judicious use of the rein, and a proper pressure of one or both legs, as well,or better, than by any forcible means whatever.
The use of theLEGSis a very important consideration, not only in the due correction of aHORSEthat starts, but in theAIRStaught in theMANEGE; where the horse is supported and helped by thehandsandlegsin every action required, from whence he is technically said to perform his airs byAIDSfrom the rider. When a horse, in starting, begins to fly on one side, for the purpose of turning from the object he wishes to avoid, the instantaneous, strong and sudden pressure of the leg on that side counteracts his spring, and, with the joint exertion of the rein and wrist, immediately brings him straight; at which moment, the same use being made of both legs, as was just before made with one, he has no alternative, but to submit to the determined correction, and soon passes the object of dread or dislike, and proceeds in the way he is required. As the legs are of greatutility in thePROPERmanagement of a horse, so they are the very reverse, ifimproperlybrought into action. Nothing sooner denotes the inability of a rider, than to see the legs swinging like a pendulum, and alternately beating against the sides of the horse: if he is a spirited horse, and well broke, he conceives himself intentionally excited to brisker action; if, on the contrary, he is a dull and sluggish goer, it only adds to his habitual callosity.
Humanityhaving been already mentioned as one of the leading qualifications necessary to constitute the character of a perfectHORSEMAN, or trueSPORTSMAN, (which are nearly synonimous), it invariably prompts each to insure, upon all occasions, the necessary comforts for hisHORSE, before he bestows a single thought upon hisown. It has been wisely observed, that the man who ridesfastwithout amotive, never affords himself time for reflection; and that he who is always in aGALLOP, is either afoolor amadman. These remarks probably originated in an observation resulting from experience, and tolerably correct in the application; that those who ridehardest, are generally the most indifferent about theCAREof theirHORSES. Those who act prudently, and with a proper attention to their own interest, will occasionally condescend to take a survey of the stable management within, as well as the enjoyment of pleasure without;upon the old and well-founded maxim, that "the master's eye makes the work light;" with the additional advantage of most probably keeping disease at a distance. The same degree of discretion which regulates the conduct of the young and inexperiencedSPORTSMANin one respect, will regulate it in another: having the health and safety of his horse at heart, he will never hurry him for the first hour in the morning, till time and gentle action has enabled him to unload his carcase; he will never make unreasonably long stages upon theROAD; ride races, or takeunnecessary leapsin theFIELD: at the conclusion of theJOURNEYorCHASE, he will see, that whatever he may think necessary to be done, is so, without implicitly relying uponimaginarypunctuality, in ordering it to be done byOTHERS. These suggestions, however, apply more toINNSupon theroad, and theLIVERY STABLESin theMETROPOLIS, than to the private stables, and regular establishments, of gentlemen having servants of reputation, upon whose fidelity they can fix a firm reliance.
HORSE-SHOE—is a plate of iron mechanically constructed for the preservation of the foot, and formed of different sizes and thickness, according to the substance, weight, and work, of the horse for whom it is made. SeeShoeingandSmith.
—is a plate of iron mechanically constructed for the preservation of the foot, and formed of different sizes and thickness, according to the substance, weight, and work, of the horse for whom it is made. SeeShoeingandSmith.
HORSE-RACING—has been a favorite sport with the superior classes for many centuries, but never arrived at any degree of local celebrity till the reign ofCharlestheSecond; who, entering into the spirit of theTURF, and becoming personally present with the full splendor of his court, then laid the foundation of the meetings atNewmarket, which are now become so justly eminent, and whereRACINGhas long since attained the full zenith of perfection. This sport during so many years, had undergone a variety of changes and depressions, according to the temper of the times, the dispositions of the people, and the fluctuation of events; amidst all which, it seems to have been the peculiar province of the greatDukeofCumberland(uncle of his present Majesty) to have become the principal instrument of renovation; having, by incessant exertion, and personal example, raised the spirit of theTURFto a degree of eminence and emulation, the brilliant rays of which will most probably never be totally obscured, till "time itself shall be no more." This, however, was not effected without an immensity of expence, and an incredible succession ofLOSSES, to thesharks,Greeks, andblack-legsof that time, by whom his Royal Highness was eternally surrounded, and incessantly pillaged; but having, in the greatness of his mind, the military maxim of "persevere and conquer," he was not to be deterred from the object of pursuit, till, having justbecome possessor of the bestSTOCK, bestBLOOD, and most numerousSTUDin the kingdom, beating his opponents "at all points," he suddenly "passed that bourne from whence no traveller returns;" an irreparable loss to theTURF, and universally lamented by the kingdom at large.
—has been a favorite sport with the superior classes for many centuries, but never arrived at any degree of local celebrity till the reign ofCharlestheSecond; who, entering into the spirit of theTURF, and becoming personally present with the full splendor of his court, then laid the foundation of the meetings atNewmarket, which are now become so justly eminent, and whereRACINGhas long since attained the full zenith of perfection. This sport during so many years, had undergone a variety of changes and depressions, according to the temper of the times, the dispositions of the people, and the fluctuation of events; amidst all which, it seems to have been the peculiar province of the greatDukeofCumberland(uncle of his present Majesty) to have become the principal instrument of renovation; having, by incessant exertion, and personal example, raised the spirit of theTURFto a degree of eminence and emulation, the brilliant rays of which will most probably never be totally obscured, till "time itself shall be no more." This, however, was not effected without an immensity of expence, and an incredible succession ofLOSSES, to thesharks,Greeks, andblack-legsof that time, by whom his Royal Highness was eternally surrounded, and incessantly pillaged; but having, in the greatness of his mind, the military maxim of "persevere and conquer," he was not to be deterred from the object of pursuit, till, having justbecome possessor of the bestSTOCK, bestBLOOD, and most numerousSTUDin the kingdom, beating his opponents "at all points," he suddenly "passed that bourne from whence no traveller returns;" an irreparable loss to theTURF, and universally lamented by the kingdom at large.
This unexpected and severe stroke occasioned a temporary stagnation; and the general gloom, with which all the interested were for some time affected, seemed to threaten a serious suspension, if not a total annihilation; but theSTUDbeing announced forSALEat theGREAT LODGEinWindsor Park, it afforded scope for the mostfertilespeculations, and those who had lost (by the Duke's death) the most striking and opulent object of their depredations, now found it prudent to form themselves into afamilycombination and compact, by whoseindefatigable industrythe sporting part of the public were most shamefully robbed for five-and-twenty years, at all the races of note for fifty miles round London; when finding, in their own phrase, that "theGAMEwasquite up," their persons were known, and their practices exploded, they disposed of theFAMILY STUD, withdrawing themselves asPRINCIPALS, and acting only asaccessoriesuponprivateinformation from the subordinates, upon which the experience of years has proved a handsome subsistence is to be obtained.
These discoveries in almost every direction, roused gentlemen ofFORTUNE,HONOR, andINTEGRITY, from the apathy to which they had been inadvertently lulled; and seeing the absolute necessity of a separation from a set ofmarkedunprincipled miscreants, proper means of exclusion were adopted, theRULESof theJockey Club(which see) were revised and improved; every proper mode being taken to prevent the introduction and election of those, whose characters and property were not known to accord with the principles of the original institution. Here followed another temporary gloom; the deaths of several of the most zealous amateurs and supporters of the turf, in almost immediate succession, caused such a generalsterility, thatNewmarketwas literally inmourning; training-grooms and stable-lads were daily becoming gentlemen at large (or ratherwanderers) for want of employment. As casual circumstances frequently effectCONTRASTS, or operate byEXTREMES, so, during the last twelve or fourteen years,RACINGhas experienced another resurrection; butDEATH, that unrelenting "leveller of all distinctions," has recently deprived us of some of its most experienced devotees, whoseSTUDSof course are successively coming to the hammer, and indicate at present no certain prospect of increasing popularity. As this subject will be repeatedly treated on, under those heads to which it particularly appertains, it becomes only necessary to introducethe fixedRULESandREGULATIONS, as invariably observed atNewmarket, (which is the standard for the kingdom in general,) by all those who support a character for punctuality and integrity upon the turf.
It is enacted by differentActsofParliament, That no person whatsoever shallenter,start, orrunanyHORSE,MARE, orGELDING, for anyPLATE,PRIZE,SUMofMONEY, or other thing, unless such horse, mare, or gelding, shall be truly andbona fidethe property of, and belonging to, such person so entering, starting, or running the same: nor shall any person enter and startmorethan one horse, mare, or gelding, for one and the same plate, prize, or sum of money, under the forfeiture of the horse, horses, or value thereof.
Any person that shall enter, start, or run a horse, mare, or gelding, for less value than fifty pounds, forfeits the sum ofTWO HUNDRED POUNDS. Every person that shall print, publish, advertise or proclaim any money, or other thing, to be run for, of less value than fifty pounds, forfeits the sum ofONE HUNDRED POUNDS. Every race for any plate, prize, or sum of money, to be begun and ended in one day. Horses may run on Newmarket Heath, in the counties ofCambridgeandSuffolk, and Black Hambleton, in the county ofYork, for less value than fifty pounds, without incurring any penalty.
All and every sum and sums of money paid for entering of any horse, mare, or gelding, to start for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other thing, shall go and be paid to the second best horse, mare, or gelding, which shall start or run for such plate, prize, or sum of money, as aforesaid.Provided, that nothing therein contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to prevent the starting or running any horse, mare, or gelding, for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other thing or things issuing out of, or paid for, by the rents, issues, and profits, of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments; or of or by the interest of any sum or sums of money chargeable with the same, or appropriated to that purpose.
Every horse, mare, or gelding, entered to start or run for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other thing whatsoever, shall pay the sum oftwo pounds two shillings. And be it further enacted, That the owner of every horse, mare, or gelding, entered to start or run for any plate, prize, sum of money, or other thing, shall, previous to the entering or starting such horse, mare, or gelding, pay the sum ofTWO POUNDS TWO SHILLINGS, as the duty for one year, into the hands of theClerkof theCourse, Book-keeper, or other person authorized to makethe entry of such horse, mare, or gelding; and if any owner shall, previous to the starting,neglectorrefuseto pay the said sum of two pounds two shillings, for such entrance, to the Clerk of the Course, Book-keeper, or other person authorized to make the entry as aforesaid, the owner or owners of every such horse, mare, or gelding, shall forfeit and pay the sum ofTWENTY POUNDS.
Horses take their ages from May Day.1760 yards are a mile.240 yards are a distance.Four inches are a hand.Fourteen pounds are a stone.
WhenHORSESare matched atCATCH WEIGHTS, each party may appoint any person to ride, without weighing either before or after the race.
Giveandtake Platesare for horses of fourteen hands high, to carry a stated weight, above or below which more or less is to be carried, allowing seven pounds for every inch.
AWhim Plateis weight for age, and weight for inches.
APost Matchis made by inferring theageof the horses in the articles; and the parties possess the privilege of bringinganyhorse ofthat ageto the post, without making any previous declaration whatever, of name, colour, or qualifications.
A Handicap Match.SeeHandicap.
Ridersmust ride their horses (after running) to theSCALESto weigh; and he that dismounts without so doing, or wants weight when weighed, is deemed adistancedhorse.
TheHORSE, whoseHEADfirst reaches the endingPOSTwins theHEAT.
If aRIDERfalls from his horse, and the horse is rode in by a person who is sufficient weight, he will take place the same as if it had not happened, provided he goes back to the place where the other fell.
Horse's plates(or shoes) not allowed in the weight.
Horses not entitled to start, without producing a proper certificate of their age, if required, at the time specified in the articles, except whereAGEDhorses are included; and in that case, ajuniorhorse may enter without a certificate, provided he carries the same weight as the aged.
AllBETSare for the best of the plate, where nothing is said to the contrary.
For theBESTof thePLATE, where there are three heats run, the horse is deemedSECONDbest who winsONE.
For theBESTof theHEATS, the horse issecondthat beats the others twice out of three times, though he does not win a heat.
In allBETS, either bettor may demandSTAKESto be made; and on refusal, declare the betvoid. A confirmedBETcannot beoffbut by mutual consent.
If one of thePARTIESisabsenton theDAYofRUNNING, a public declaration may be made of theBETupon the Course, accompanied with a demand, whether any person present will makeSTAKESfor the absent party, which proportion not being acceded to, the bet may be declaredvoid.
Betsagreed to be paid or received in town, or at any other particular place, cannot be declaredoffon the Course.
If aMATCHis made for any particular day, in any meeting atNewmarket, and the parties agree to change the day, all bets mustSTAND; but if runin a different meeting, the bets made before the alteration arevoid.
The person who lays theODDS, has a right to chuse hisHORSEor thefield.
When a person has chosen his horse, the field is what starts against him; but there is no field, if the horse so named has no opponent.
Betsmade forPOUNDS, are always paid inGUINEAS.
IfODDSarelaid, without mentioning the horse before it is over, it must be determined as thebets wereat the time of making it.
Betsmade in running, are not determined till thePLATEisWON, if that heat is not mentioned at the time of betting.
Where aPLATEis won bytwo heats, the preference of the horses is determined by the places they are in at the termination of the second heat.
Horsesrunning on the wrong side of aPOST, and not turning back to completely recover their ground, aredistanced.